The field of invention is floor cleaning equipment, and more particularly, floor cleaning equipment for use in industrial and commercial environments.
Industrial and commercial floors are cleaned on a regular basis for aesthetic and sanitary purposes. There are many types of industrial and commercial floors ranging from hard surfaces, such as concrete, terrazzo, wood, and the like, which can be found in factories, schools, hospitals, and the like, to softer surfaces, such as carpeted floors found in restaurants and offices. Different types of floor cleaning equipment, such as scrubbers, sweepers, and extractors, have been developed to properly clean and maintain these different floor surfaces.
A typical scrubber for use on hard surfaces, such as Factory Cat scrubbers available from R.P.S. Corporation, Racine, Wis., is a walk-behind or drivable, self-propelled, wet process machine which applies a liquid cleaning solution from an on-board cleaning solution tank on to floor. Rotating brushes forming part of the scrubber agitate the solution to loosen dirt and grime adhering to the floor. The dirt and grime become suspended in the solution which is collected by a vacuum squeegee fixed to a rearward portion of the scrubber and deposited into an onboard recovery tank.
Although the vacuum squeegee collects substantially all of the solution from the floor, a thin film of solution extending the length of the squeegee assembly remains. This thin film evaporates over a period of time. However, prior to evaporation of the film, the floor should remain clear of pedestrians and vehicles. It is desirable to expedite the evaporation of the thin film.